Train-pipe-hose coupling.



l. STRINGFELLOW.

TRAIN PIPE HOSE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. 1917.

Patented Oct. 23,1917.

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imrrnn smarts Parana ora on IRA STRINGFELLOW,

TRAIN-PIPE-HOSE COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA SrnINerE LoW, a citizen of the United states of America, residing at Brookwood, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in i Train-Pipe-Hose Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic coulin s for train i e air hose or other train,

pipe lines. 7 1

The automatic car coupler has made it unnecessary for men to' go between cars to couple cars together but up to this time the general practice made it necessary for the train crew to work between the coupled cars in order to connect the air, steam and water hose connections and to open the valvesin the train pipe lines. My object is to avoid this risk and hazard and to that end I have devised an apparatus which will act; automatically to connect atrain pipe line for air, steam, or water and which is obviously capable of adaptation to couple one or more train pipe lines carrying such fluids.

One object of my invention is to so design the automatic couplings that, they willhave a maximum freedom of play both vertically and horizontally after they are coupled but will be held with, rigidity and accuracy in the predetermined position requisite for effecting a coupling.- I v A further object is to adapt the couplings to automatically open and close the valves in the'train pipe line so that the latter will be opened when the coupling is closed and closed whenthe coupling is opened.

My invention also includes the noveldetails of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which I I Figure 1 shows a bottom plan view with two cars with the ordinary car couplings omitted andwith the automatic hose couplings in coupled position.

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing the hose couplings in open position ready to be coupled.

Fig. 4 is a detail front view of the guide and bracket in which the pivoted member of the coupling is guided, the coupling being shown in full and dotted lines in coupled and uncoupled positions.

Specification of Letters Patent.

or B'RooKwoon, ALABAMA, ASSI'GNOR oFoNE HALFTowEsnEY: STRINGFELLOW, or BiaooKwoon, ALABAMA.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917. Application filed Ma as, 1917. Serial No. 171,426.

Similar reference numerals referto similar parts throughout the drawings. I

I have illustrated my invention formally as applied to railway cars'1 and 2, each of these cars being provided with the ordinary type of bottom sills 3. Across these sills is bolted or made fast. a plate twhich over-' posed the guide slot which receives the arm 5. This slot has a contracted neck near its end adj acent to the center of the carwhich merges at one end into'a' contracted seat 8 that snugly receives the bar 5 and at its other end merges intoan enlarged and elongated slot 9 in which the bar 5 is free for substantial vertical and horizontal play. As will be seen in Fig. 4, the bar 5, when. forced past the contracted neck of the slot into the seat 8, makes a fairly close fit therein and stands almost parallelwitlrthe sills 3. The object of the close fit provided is to bringthe bar to a predetermined position when uncoupled, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8 whereas when the bar is coupled it works in the enlarged portion 9 of the slot and is there free to play vertically, as indicated by the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 4. In order to normally draw the bar 5 into the position shown in Fig. 2, I provide a rod 10 carrying at one end a yoke 11 which embraces the bar 5 which-is held in the yoke by a bolt 12 connecting the outer ends of the yoke arms, see Fig. 1. The yoke is so designed that the bar 5 is free to move angularly relatively thereto while the rod itself is confined to a straight line movement crosswise of the car by working in alining openings in thevertical webs with a very considerable pressure the out' the couplings 1n interlocked relation with sufiicient force to insure a pressure tight oint.

On the free end of each bar 5 I pivotan" arm 17 carrying a coupling head 18. Each arm 17 is pivoted to its respective bar 5 at an intermediate point and has its rear end which extends beyond the pivot connected to a rod 19 which extends back under the rear end and is connected to a handle 20 of a rotary valve 21 in the train pipe line 22. A coiled spring 23 surrounds the pivot pin 24: which connects the bar 5 and arm 17 and its free ends are caused to engage said bar and arm in such manner as to urge them apart and toward the relative position shown in Fig. 2. The power of this spring is suflicient to positively snap the valve 21 closed when the heads 18 are uncoupled.

Each coupling head 18 comprises a nipple 25 to which the air or other train pipe hose 26 is coupled at one end, the other end of the hose being connected to the train pipe line 22. This nipple connects with a passage 27 leading toward the front end of the couplinghead and then turns at right angles to open through the front vertical face of the coupling. Here a rubber gasket 28 is provided surrounding the open'end of the passage. In the rear of the gasket is a forwardly opening,flaring socket 29 for guiding and centering the tapered tip 30 of the opposing coupling head.

In operation, the coupling heads 18 are automatically drawn by the action of springs 16 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which the bars 5 are held rigidly in the contracted seats 8 in the brackets and are therefore in position to present their re-' VP-{Wlllli heads 18 in position to engage each n-"hw as the cars approach, it being noted la the rods 19, 'co-acting with the valve handles 20. serve to limit the outward swing of the arms 17 responsive to the action of "b prings 23. As the cars approach, the i-mlill'lifl heads 18 meet and engage and as hcv press together the taper tip of eachhcad will be received in the socket 29 of the opposing head. As the cars continue to approach the bars 5 are forced to swing outwardly in opposite directions against the action of the springs 16 untilthe couplings assume the position shown in Fig. 1, this action serving to put the springs 28 and 16 under tension and these springs serve to hold the coupling heads 18 positively engaged. \Vhen thus coupled, the bars 5 stand near the outer ends of the enlarged slots 9 in the brackets and are therefore free to have considerable vertical and horizontal play back and forth as the cars move relatively in rounding curves and following.

track irregularities.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Iatent, is

1. An automatic train hose coupling comprising a coupling head having anair hose connection, an .arm carrying the coupling head, a horizontally movable bar to the forward end of which said arm is connected and which bar is pivotally connected to the car at its rear end, guide means for the bar, and spring means to yieldingly resist the outward pressure of the car, due to the meeting of opposing coupling heads, substant1ally" as described.

2. An automatic train hose coupling comprising a coupling head having an air hose connection, an arm carrying the coupling head, a horizontally movable bar to the forward end of which said arm is connected and which bar is pivotally connected to the car at its rear end, guide means for the bar, and spring means to yieldingly resist the outward pressure of the bar, due to the meeting of opposing coupling heads, said guide means having a contracted seat to receive and hold the bar in predetermined .uncoupled position, substantially-as described 3. In a train pipe coupling, ahorizontally swinging bar connected to the car and projecting beyond an end thereof, a vert1 calguide bracket having a guide slot in which said bar is horizontally movable, said slot having a contracted seat at the end nearest the center. of the car,-which seatis adapted to receive the bar with a snug fit, spring means to urge the bar into said seat, and a coupling head pivotally connected to the free end of the bar and having an air hose connection, substantially as described- 4. In a train hose coupling of the character described, a horizontally swinging support mounted on the car, guides for the support, spring means to resist the outward sidewise movement of the'support, a train pipe line, a rotary valve therein having a handle, an arm, a coupling head mounted on said arm, a hose pipe connecting said head and pipe line, means to pivot the said arm at an intermediatepoint to said support, and a rod connecting the end of the arm near said pivot to the valve handle, as and for the purposes described.

5. A train pipe hose coupling comprising a horizontally swinging support mounted, on the car, spring means to resist the outward movement of said support, an arm pivoted at an intermediate point to the outer end of the support, a spring acting between the support and arm to urge the latter away from the support, a rod connected to the rear end of the arm beyond its pivot point, a train pipe line, a rotary valve therein connected to and adapted to be operated by the rod, and a hose connecting said pipe line to the coupling head, sub stantially as described.

6. In a train pipe hose coupling of the character described, a bracket mounted transversely under the end of the car and having a vertical member extending laterally and slotted, the slot having a contracted throat near the center of the car, a bar pivoted to the car and adapted to swing horizontally in said slot, spring means urging said bar toward said throat, an arm pivoted to said bar, spring means to force the arm outwardly fromthe bar, means to limit the outward swing of the arm on the bar, a coupling head carried on the free end of the arm, and a train hose pipe connected to the coupling, substantially. as de scribed.

7. In a train pipe hose coupling of the character described, a bracket mounted transversely under the end of the car and having a vertical member extending laterally and slotted, the slot having a contracted throat near the center line of the car, abar pivoted to the car and adapted to swing horizontally in said slot, spring means urging said bar toward said throat, an arm pivoted to said bar, spring means to force the arm outwardly from the car, means to limit the outward swing of the arm on the bar, a coupling head carried on the free end of the arm, and a train hose pipe connected to the coupling, said first mentioned spring means comprising a rod,

a guide bearing therefor in the bracket, a spring acting on the rod to force it toward the longitudinal center line of the car, and a yoke on the rod which receives said bar. I

In testimony whereof I affix my si nature.

IRA STRINGFEL OW., Witness:

N OMIE WELSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

